


The Guests of the Sun

by lumaste



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe-Ancient World, Angst, Dark, Drama, M/M, Pagan Gods, Possible Character Death, Romance, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-15 11:14:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4604619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumaste/pseuds/lumaste
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's ironic that Daniel's first time has to be the sixth year, when it's <i>his</i> turn to be the guest of the Great God.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Guests of the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a dream, so don't look for logic behind the world-building. You will also come across some weird words, such as 'hospitee'. Don't bother googling it, I made it up and the meaning will become clear in the course of the story.
> 
> As always, many thanks to [RuinNine](http://archiveofourown.org/users/RuinNine/pseuds/RuinNine), who kindly agreed to read this over and give her helpful advice. Thank you, Ria <3

Everything is ready for the celebration. Seven bronze-armoured honour guards are standing in a semicircle near the platform, seven purple-clothed apprentices are by the shore with daggers in their hands, the High Priest is waiting by the air balloon, clad in his golden robes. The Great God Helon is shining brightly in the sky, anticipating Than Ghamat. The huge ship is slowly approaching the shore for the first and last time this year. 

It is the first year for Daniel as an honour guard during Than Ghamat. His brother served as an honour guard from their family for the past five years, but now he is away, gone with the army to conquer another foreign land, to bring more hospitees for Than Ghamat, for the Great God Helon. It's ironic that Daniel's first time has to be the sixth year, when it's _his_ turn to be the guest of the Great God Helon. 

The ship reaches the shore, grandiose in its anonymity. It has no need to have a name, it only serves as a prison, standing in the middle of the sea for a year till the day for Than Ghamat comes and it approaches the shore. 

The first to come down from the ship is the hospitee of the seventh year. Serious and proud, he's leading his suite of seven youngsters, dressed in black like him, their long hair in ponytails. They form a semicircle, facing the honour guards. They're all grim, but only one of them is crying. Daniel knows him and he knows why. He can't bring himself to feel happy for the other boy's sorrow as he thought he would. 

Next appears the suite of this year's hospitee. They are seven, their robes white as snow, their hair kept in neat bums. They walk on shaking legs and stand in front of the apprentices. Each one of the protagonists knows their roles by heart. They have seen it happen for five years, knowing that one day it would be their turn. 

Finally there comes the hospitee of this year. Daniel's knees go weak and he grips the hilt of his sword tightly. The sixth hospitee is wearing bright red clothes like the guest of the Great God Helon is supposed to. His long hair is loosely flowing over his shoulders. He's walking slowly, not used to firm ground after spending a year on the ship. Six years to be more precise, six years on the sea and only six days on the shore to witness Than Ghamat. Their watery prison eliminates all chances to escape. They are the children of deserts and mountains, and the sea is their enemy. 

Daniel still remembers the day he'd first seen him. There was commotion on all the islands, everyone was talking about the arrival of the seven hospitees and their suites. There hadn't been hospitees for over twenty years, but now the stubborn kingdom that had been fighting against their army had finally surrendered and sent seven children from the most important families in the kingdom to become the guests of the Great God Helon. 

Daniel and about two dozen children swam to the ship that night to see the prisoners. They crept on the ship without the guards noticing. At first they were content with just looking, but then they started touching, pushing and pulling. The foreigners, taken away from their families, still dazed by their journey over the seas and uncertain about their future, resisted feebly and went into total panic, when one of Daniel's friends suddenly pushed a little girl into the sea. 

The guards heard the cries when there were over ten children in the water. The local kids were looking curiously at the little bodies trashing in the sea. It was foreign for them, on the islands children started swimming almost as soon as they started walking. 

Daniel wasn't participating in the fun. From the first moment he had spotted a freckled boy and now couldn't tear his gaze off him. The boy looked confused and scared like the others, looking around with his wide eyes, trying to find a place to hide. Daniel saw how his best friend looked at the boy with a mischievous grin and realized that he was going to push him into the water. 

Daniel had never run so fast in his life. Before his friend would touch the boy, he reached him and pushed him away. He fell into the sea with a cry and a loud splash and started swearing immediately. Daniel didn't hear him, because at that moment the boy looked at him and smiled. The whole world disappeared for Daniel. He didn't notice how the guards got the children out of the water and started scolding him and his friends for throwing the hospitees into the sea. He had to be dragged into a boat and taken to the shore, because he could only think about the boy's smile. 

He kept coming back to the ship after that, watching the boy from afar, because the islanders weren't encouraged to communicate with the foreigners. He learnt that he was one of the seven hospitees and prayed to the Great God Helon to call the boy to him for the last. He cried when the High Priest named him the sixth guest and not the seventh. He secretly learnt the prisoners' language to understand what the boy talked about with his friends. He learnt that he was as beautiful as the statues of the Great God Helon and that his laughter was more enchanting than the call of the sea. 

With some difficulty he learnt also his name. Fernando. _Fernando,_ he repeated in his head by day, _Fernando,_ he whispered in the dead of night, _Fernando,_ he shouted alone in the sea, _Fernando, Fernando, Fernando,_ softly sang the waves. 

The waves are silent now, it's the drums beating the name in rhythm and Fernando is standing in his red robes so close to Daniel that it's hard to breathe. He has to strain all his muscles not to reach out and pass his hand through his strands. The islanders never keep long hair, it's for the hospitees and their suites. 

The High Priest chants a prayer and gradually his voice grows higher and then abruptly stops. Daniel knows what it means. Everyone knows. He keeps his sight trained on Fernando, but from the corner of eye he sees the first apprentice raise his dagger and slice the throat of the boy standing in front of him. 

Fernando's head jerks away slightly, as though he wants to avert his gaze like he did every year this happened, but these are his people and he forces himself to watch until the last one of them stops twitching. Their blood dripping on the sand is the colour of Fernando's clothes, and the hospitee's face has turned as white as the robes of the seven young people lying lifeless on the shore. 

The High Priest starts another prayer. Fernando sways on the spot and Daniel instinctively reaches out to catch him, but he doesn't fall, he walks forward slowly to the shore, where the senior apprentice sprinkles him with sea water, tinted slightly pink from the blood. 

He turns back and takes a shaky step to the platform. Daniel hears a muffled sob from the black semicircle. Fernando stops for a second, but then continues his unsteady walk. The sobs get louder and suddenly the crying boy runs to Fernando and wraps his arms around him. 

Daniel feels the familiar ugly pain in his heart. He hates this boy with passion, hated him since the first time he saw the way Fernando looked at him. He watched them play and laugh together, but their games got more serious as they grew up. Daniel often saw them hidden in a corner of the ship, hugging, kissing, talking in hushed voices. He couldn't help but wish he were in the place of that boy, couldn't help but want it were his lips locked with Fernando's, it were his chest Fernando's fingers caressed, it were his name Fernando whispered so tenderly, not the harsh and hateful _Sergio._

They were always together, always touching, not afraid of showing their love, not ashamed of it, not disturbed by their different origins. The inescapable death made them equal, gave them freedom which Daniel could never have. It made his desire for Fernando and his hatred for Sergio only stronger. A few times he considered getting rid of his rival. He wouldn't get seriously punished for it. The boy wasn't a hospitee, just an anonymous servant, he was expendable. A few people from the hospitees' suites died during the years and they were replaced by deer during Than Ghamat. Once he almost pushed the peacefully sleeping Sergio in the water. The only thing that stopped him was the thought of not seeing Fernando's smile ever again. He was always smiling when he was with this boy and sometimes he even smiled at Daniel when he caught him staring. Daniel usually jumped into the sea and swam away at those moments, caught between embarrassment and elation. Sergio, however, started glowering at him and pulled Fernando to him, hugging him tightly. 

Just like he's hugging him now. He's hugging him so tightly that two guards aren't able to pull him away. Fernando asks them with gestures to let him handle this and the guards back off at the High Priest's command. Daniel doesn't hear what Fernando's whispering into his lover's ear, but Sergio keeps shaking his head, repeating 'no' and 'let them take _me_ ' over and over again. 

Fernando takes Sergio's face into his hands and looks into his eyes. They stare at each other for what seems an eternity to Daniel, but finally Sergio bows his head, his shoulders shaking. Fernando puts a kiss on the crown of his head and gently pushes him into the hands of the seventh hospitee, who takes Sergio away. 

Fernando resumes his path then, obviously struggling with every step, his face contorted in a grimace of pain. He reaches the first guard of honour and stops in front of him to receive the first token of the Great God Helon. He bows his head slightly and the guard places a willow wreath on his head. Fernando walks to the second guard, who wraps a thin golden belt around his waist. When the third guard puts a ring with amber stone on his finger, Daniel's heartbeat gets so loud that it drowns out the noise of the sea. He squeezes the ruby necklace in his hand, as Fernando approaches him slowly. 

With shaking hands Daniel raises the necklace. Fernando leans closer and after a few tries Daniel finally fastens the necklace around his neck. Their faces are almost touching, Daniel has never been this close to him. He's dazed, his head is spinning and he almost faints when Fernando comes even closer and quietly, so that only Daniel can hear him, whispers: "Save him." 

Absolutely awestruck, Daniel can only nod, not even caring what he's promising. Fernando smiles at him, the same kind, grateful, bright smile the islander remembers from six years before, and Daniel is ready to fall to his knees and blasphemously worship him in place of the Great God Helon. 

But Fernando walks away, his gait easier and steadier now, receives the other tokens and goes up the stairs to the platform, where the High Priest is waiting next to the air balloon. He stands motionless, as the High Priest starts the main prayer, asking the Great God Helon for a prosperous and victorious year in exchange of this year's hospitee. 

When the prayer ends, the High Priest ushers Fernando inside the air balloon and lights the fire with the help of two priestesses. In the silence interrupted only by the sound of waves breaking on the shore, the whistling of the wind and the muffled sobs of Sergio, the balloon gets bigger and then suddenly rises above the platform. Fernando grabs on the wooden edge, his face showing fear for the first time, while the air balloon continues its slow rise to the sky. 

The High Priest's eyes are burning with mad faith, his pale lips are moving soundlessly. Daniel knows he's praying for the Great God Helon to incinerate the balloon in the air. It happened on the second year, the air balloon was already far away when it caught fire and fell into the sea like a shooting star. The crowd cheered, while the foreign children started screaming and crying in horror. Last year it was even more horrible. The balloon started burning when it was still near the shore. The screams of the hospitee filled the air. Even the islanders were made uneasy, especially when the burnt body of the boy washed up on the sands. Fernando and Sergio held each other throughout all of it, obviously shaken to the core by the scene and the fear that it could happen to Fernando next time. 

Daniel knows that right now Sergio and he are praying to different gods, but for the same thing – not to condemn Fernando to the same horrible fate. But Daniel isn't sure that death in the sea is less horrible for Sergio or Fernando. 

The balloon is so high now that Daniel can't see Fernando's face anymore, and it goes higher and higher and higher. The Great God Helon pierces Daniel's eyes with his bright rays and they fill with tears. He blinks and wipes the tears away and when he looks up, the balloon has already turned into a tiny dot, which disappears in a few seconds. 

Sergio falls to his knees and howls in pain. Daniel would like to join him, but he doesn't have the freedom to do even that. He watches how the apprentices drag the seven white-clad bodies into the sea, how the seventh hospitee sits down next to the shaking Sergio and whispers something into his ear, how the ship guards lead the last eight prisoners back into their giant prison. 

As he sees Sergio crawling up on the deck, he remembers his word given to Fernando and realizes that he can't live with himself if he doesn't keep it.

***

Two days later, in the darkest hour of the night, Daniel takes his small ship and sails to the prison. The storm season is starting soon and it's going to last a few months. If he leaves his plan for later, he might never have the courage or the will to carry it out.

He doesn't find Sergio with the other six servants or with the seventh hospitee. But Daniel knows where he is. There is a secluded place on the deck where he and Fernando used to spend some nights. And he's there, lying on some clothes which Daniel recognizes as Fernando's. He shakes Sergio by the shoulder and clamps a hand over his mouth when he jerks up. 

Sergio starts trashing immediately, trying to fight Daniel off despite his assurances that he's just there to help him. Daniel has to knock him out with the hilt of his sword and drag him to his ship. 

Sergio comes to his senses pretty soon. "Where are you taking me?" he shouts. 

"Shut up, I'm trying to save you." 

"Why?" 

"I promised him." 

Sergio stays silent for a moment. 

"I can't leave," he says quietly, "My friends are still there." 

"I'm sorry," Daniel answers. 

They don't talk for the whole night. Daniel keeps rowing and Sergio just looks into the water. When the day comes, Daniel leaves the ship to the wind and lies down to sleep a little, but what feels like minutes later he's woken up by Sergio shaking him. 

"What-what's that?" the boy whispers terrified, pointing at something. 

Daniel squints his eyes and snorts. "Calm down, it's just a dolphin." 

"Oh," Sergio says relieved. 

Daniel raises his brows, but Sergio doesn't say anything else. Daniel shrugs, lies down and is already nodding off when Sergio talks again. 

"Where are we going?" he asks. 

"I'll take you to the Peninsula. You can get home from there or even stay there if you want." 

"Is it far away?" 

"We'll reach it tonight." 

"So it's not that far," Sergio whispers to himself, "A day at most with the right wind and enough..." 

He abruptly stops and looks at Daniel, as though just now realizing that he's talking out loud. Daniel rolls his eyes and takes the oars again. They sail for a few hours until Sergio jumps up as though he's been bitten. 

"There is something over there," he cries. 

"It's a tree branch," Daniel says impatiently. 

Sergio closes his eyes in relief. 

"What are you so scared of?" Daniel mocks, "There are no monsters in the sea. Those are legends." 

"I know," Sergio says, "The monsters are on the land." 

Daniel suddenly can't look at him anymore. He turns his back to Sergio and returns to rowing. 

It's close to the evening when Sergio jumps up shouting for the third time. 

"There!" he cries, "What's that? Look there!" 

"It's a piece of wood," Daniel says. 

Sergio pales. "From where?" he whispers. 

"Probably from a boat," Daniel shrugs. 

"Are you sure it's from a boat?" Sergio asks. 

Daniel looks more carefully. "Yes, it's from a boat." 

Sergio takes a deep breath and smiles faintly. And Daniel suddenly understands. Sergio's not scared of monsters, he's scared of finding Fernando's air balloon or worse, his body. And his curiousness about the Peninsula is fueled by his hope that Fernando might have made it there. Daniel doesn't tell him that the chances of Fernando reaching the Peninsula or of them finding Fernando's body in the sea are minimal. 

They land in at the Peninsula when the Great God Helon has already hidden behind the horizon. Daniel anchors his ship in a small, desolate bay and takes out a bag he's prepared for Sergio. There is food inside and some gold to help Sergio get home or survive here for some time. 

"Here," he mutters, shoving the bag to Sergio, "Follow the coast and soon you'll reach the city." 

"Thanks," Sergio says, "And, you know... thanks." 

Daniel nods. Sergio starts walking away, but after a few steps stops and looks back. 

"He likes you, you know?" he says. 

"Who?" Daniel says, his throat going dry. 

"Fernando." 

"Fernando... liked me?" Daniel whispers. 

"He likes you," Sergio says, "I always hated you, but he likes you. Says you're good. I guess he's right." 

Daniel doesn't bother correcting his use of tense, doesn't want to crush the boy he once wanted to kill. 

"Thanks for telling me," he says hoarsely. 

Sergio smiles and turns back. Daniel watches him disappear, then sinks down on the pebbles, throwing his head back. The Silver Goddess Manu is looking at him from above. Her light is weak, but it still fills Daniel's eyes with tears.


End file.
